John Robert Kennedy
After a long and blessed life, John passed away peacefully on October 18, 2022, in London, Ontario, at the age of 87 following a brief illness. He will be deeply missed by his loving wife Jean Kennedy (née Cornish) with whom he enjoyed over 62 years of marriage, his two sons Michael and David, his grandchildren Madeleine, William, Rachael, Brisa, Max, Malcolm, sister Jan Sheridan, his extended family, and his many friends.
John was born in Winnipeg on March 10, 1935. After attending Calvin High School in Winnipeg, John attended the University of Manitoba and eventually made his way to the University of Western Ontario in 1959 to obtain an M.B.A. at the School of Business. While at Western, John met Jean, the love of his life, at a dance in 1959 and they married in 1960. The two were inseparable kindred spirits who had many happy adventures together. In 1964, John and Jean, with son Michael, moved to California where John enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Son David arrived in 1965 while they lived in Mountain View, California. John and his family subsequently returned to London, Ontario, in 1967 when he joined the faculty at Western. John was an Associate Professor at the Ivey School of Business until his retirement in 1997.
John and Jean, had the good fortune to travel the world both before and after their retirements. Passionate about his hobby of model railroading, a highlight was when he was featured in the Model Railroader magazine in 1996. John also loved cooking meals for friends and family, and was one of the few men of his generation who saw it as his role to shop and cook for his family, which reflected his very giving nature.
A very special thank you to the staff at Manor Village and University Hospital for all the kindness and care John received over the last few years.
A celebration of life will be held in the new year when its safe to gather. Details will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ivey School of Business.